polymer

Noun

(plural polymers)

(organic chemistry) A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.

From Ancient Greek Ï€Î¿Î»ÏÏ‚ (poly, “many") + Î¼Î­ÏÎ¿Ï‚ (meros, “part"). Coined in 1833 by JÃ¶ns Jacob Berzelius, although his definition was quite different from ours.

polymer - Computer Definition

(1) Meaning "many parts," it is a material constructed of smaller molecules of the same substance that form larger molecules. For example, plastic is a synthetic polymer, while protein is a natural polymer. See polymer semiconductor.

(2) (Polymer) A toolkit for designing Web sites based on Web Components and Google's user interface design. For more information, visit www.polymer-project.org. See Web Components and Material Design.

Sentence Examples

When cyanogen is prepared by heating mercuric cyanide, a residue known as para-cyanogen, (CN)x, is left; this is to be regarded as a polymer of cyanogen.

He regards Sµ as the polymer S,, analogous to ozone 03; Smith, however, regards S, as S8.

It is readily transformed into a solid polymer, probably (CH 2: NOH)3.

The properties of caoutchouc clearly show, however, that its actual molecular structure is considerably more complex than is represented by the empirical formula, and that it is to be regarded as the polymer of a terpene or similar hydrocarbon and composed of a cluster of at least ten or twenty molecules of the formula C5H8.